CCP Layoffs Discussion, Continued: WoD Must Die
Lots of excellent discussion going back and forth on the CCP layoffs. PyroTech at Wandering the Void wrote about players complaining that the community team was hit hard:
Where’s the next logical step to downsize? You cut out developers, art, and designers from EVE….you go back on your promise of improving EVE. That’s where the community team comes up. In a lot of companies that have these PR Community team’s, they are the most disposable. Their job can be taught relatively easy and therefore easy to replace. So the Reykjavik positions mentioned were likely the community team members.
The logic here is sound. Particularly if the 'community' dropped by ~4500 people, that team suddenly looks a whole lot less important. BUT, I disagree with the outcome.
What CCP should have done is shit-can the entire World of Darkness project. Look, CCP, I'm an EVE player. As far as I am concerned your job is to make EVE as good as it can be and NOT ONE DAMN THING ELSE. I have no interest in a vampire MMO; and I'm guessing a lot of EVE players will agree.
Some people will make an argument that CCP has already invested "too much time and money" to drop the project. This reminds me of the "too big to fail" argument made for some financial institutions.
CCP's income stream is from EVE players. Until they actually get the WoD game out the door, they're banking on the future. Any loss they would take from dropping World of Darkness has *already been paid*. They can't make the current situation any worse; indeed they can improve their fiscal position by dropping the employees assigned to WoD, and assign some back over to EVE.
Improve EVE, attract more players, get rich. You can do it, CCP.
5 comments
It has been said that 114 people were laid off from CCP due to about 4,500 people leaving EVE, however where were they cut from; Was it 114 employees cut from the WoD team or EVE?
As a side note, i didn't know of WoD's existence until the "greed is good?" document was released
A large number of the WoD staff were cut, but the project continues.
A sizeable number of the CCP Community Relations staff were cut. I believe this includes CCP Fallout.
Yeah, it is pretty obvious the WOD is dead in the water. Especially since whats left of the WOD team is going to be redeployed to help with Dust 514.
Jester's got a pretty good point about the continued existence of the WoD project. If CCP shitcans WoD, their investors might get itchy and pull funding. Then the company goes bankrupt and EVE dies. I've had some minor experience dealing with investors on behalf of a buddy of mine.
I'll be damned if i want to be in Hilmar's shoes right now. He's basically got to please these people who have no experience whatsoever with the industry nor share his or his devs' vision for the game. There is no 'love of the game' on their part. I doubt very seriously if any of them even play. They're in it for the bottom line and that's fucking it.
Their loot, your tears.